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How to Identify Aluminum Wiring—And What to Do About It [Video]

Andrew Cushman
1 min read
How to Identify Aluminum Wiring—And What to Do About It [Video]

Aluminum wiring… AHHHHHHH!!!

You’ve heard of it. You’re afraid of it. But what is it, again? And how do you know if your property has it? If it does, does that mean your deal will figuratively and literally go down in flames?

Why is it Important to Watch Out for Aluminum Wiring?

Like a lot of things we collectively regret, aluminum wiring became popular in the mid-1960s. The price of copper had gone through the roof, and aluminum was seen as an affordable alternative.  However, after years of widespread use, aluminum wiring was found to be less flexible than copper, prone to denting and crimping, and more easily oxidized. These qualities made aluminum wiring develop hotspots that led to fires—generally not a good thing! So, even though by the mid-70s better aluminum alloys had been developed, its reputation was so bad that pretty much everyone switched back to copper once the prices came back down.

Related: The Free, Award-Winning App That Takes the Pain Out of Home Maintenance & Repair

Aluminum wiring won’t necessarily kill a deal or keep you from ever getting insurance, but it’s important that you identify it in your property so that you can properly mitigate it. But how do you do that? What exactly does it look like? What are acceptable uses for aluminum wiring today?

Watch the video for a look inside the electrical panels of two real apartment units—one with copper wiring and one with the dreaded aluminum wiring. Learn to identify the two types of wiring and what you should do about the aluminum wiring should it turn up in your property.

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Have you dealt with aluminum wiring in your rentals?

Let me know your experiences with a comment.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.